So, 9 out of 10.
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The story revolves around a small eatery and the patrons who come in to enjoy a late night meal. Each episode is different but they are all life stories and are truly heartwarming. The characters weave together as the show goes on, and the recipes that conclude each of the episodes leaves me wanting to go in and eat there too!!
Don't miss this show!
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A sensitive, fond portrayal of dealing with being stuck in time
I found this drama completely on accident at Viki and watched it all in one sitting!With short 8 episodes, this drama will grab your attention at the first and make you cry at least once. It has that magical jdrama ability of hitting you right in the feels without needing any showy imaginaries. The plot is tight and to the point: a cherry tree miracle happened -- a high school young man is revived 7 years later the date of his death to make his best friend/love interest wish of being confessed under a cherry tree come true, only his previous tight group of friends are distant now they are all adults, and the tree is going to be cut down soon. The main theme, for me, is getting back on track after something really impactful happened to you.
The cast is amazing, full of young actor who are really great. The main lead, especially, is so good. He is portraying a character forever 17 years old, in the middle of friends who grew to be 24 when he couldn't, and it's amazing how he looks the part. You can feel on his behavior, the way he moves, the way he talks, the way he sleeps (!!!) that he's only 17, not an adult yet, and it's heartbreaking. Not only the characters but also the viewers start to wonder what life would be like if the accident had never happened.
The pace, the editing, the sensibility of the director, the subtle ost that binds everything together, all of that leaves a harmonious impression. It's a human story, full of life, sweet story that explores human emotions in a way that Japanese dramas excel at. And it doesn't get sloppy.
You definitely should give it a chance!
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My heart aches
Ahh I must say the movie is very well made , the actors are v good I usually don’t really watch movies/series without skipping at least one scene but I didn’t skip any scenes sooo must be a good movie!! I was soooo invested in the story but the ending !! I cannot be any more heartbroken , I thought they were going to end up together low key thought he died at one point lmao but vvvv good movie , realistic ending I guess? I feel like they should’ve made it a drama cause I feel there could be so much more to the story like his relationship with his father?Also I want to want to go to an electronic festival now lol looks so much fun!!
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Not a fairytale with happy ending but not something you should miss...
It's a quite complicated to understand but it's still worth to watch, first thing it does not ending which usually is like they lived happily ever after so if you are looking something like that then it's not the place to find. It's a beautiful love story which makes you smile but also have a big twist that left you shocked.It was well executed, acting was good it is far better than other movies about time travel but it also left with many unanswered questions so it does have many plot holes. It's definitely a tearjerker that will let you cry until the end and you'll get a unsatisfied ending also, but it still worth to watch because it's like true life we don't get everything as we want.
I'll definitely recommend you if you are not softhearted person, it's a heartwarming and tragic story but it will also give you some pleasant moments!!
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YAY OR NAY?!
This is my first time writing a review here in MDL so bear with me please...
I've recently finish watching Love At Night 2 days ago and here's my final thought regarding this drama stating what I like and what I dislike.
WHAT I LIKE :
1. Trailer — the trailer is very promising that 2 weeks before the airing date made me anticipate into watching.
2. Love At Night — the title itself is captivating that my mind goes into wildest (XD not something what you have thought)
3. Zhang Yu Xi and Liu Xue Yi — The reason I watched this was because of Zhang Yu Xi as I am a fan of her previous dramas. Although I am not familiar with Liu Xue Yi but as I dug deeper about him made me wants to familiarize him.
4. The chemistry — The Main lead has this oozing chemistry, although I haven't watched their previous drama LOVE AND REDEMPTION but I can sense already that they have a good pairing..
5. Their Acting — Zhang Yu Xi is great at portraying Xu Qing You and Liu Xue Yi as Mo Ling Ze and it is praiseworthy..
6. The 10 episodes — I guess thats my favourite episodes so far in the drama as I scored it high 9 for me...
WHAT I DISLIKE:
1.After ep 10— the plot has gone draggy and more on water fillers inserted. It would be nice if they keep it shorter. As the drama lost it's main pace.
2. Side Characters — I like the main characters but when they inserted the side couples ( Xu Qing Yu's bestie and little brother) I started to skip more and more as they have more screen time than the Main CP. Also other characters (the both exes ) are very annoying that it made the story worth not watching. Lastly, the childish obsessive fan of Mo Ling Ze , although she has her love line near the end with Mo Ling Ze's assistant but her actions are not very irritating to watch.
3. The ending — I don't know if it is happy or not . As they resolved some issues near end which made me keep wondering ???? ... It seems like its a rush ending with crappy theme..
If I were to rate it I would give it 7.5 over all...
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The love stories were cute, but not as good as they were in the first season. The love triangle was weak too. So, there were few twists when it came to the romance part. Plus, the main Hana of the first season was pushed aside and her love story was just a mess.
At least the conclusion was bitter sweet and it feated a drama about teens and their lives.
So, five out of ten.
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I gave the story-line a 7,5 because to me it is not completely badly written. There were good episodes which were really funny especially in the beginning (the 1st episode was really great a 9 in my book).Later on the story-line deteriorated a bit, portraying HaiTang from a smart girl in episode 1 to a stupid superstitious girl afraid of ghosts.
But... when she divorced Yueming after fixing his face, the story-line started to be better again, until the 1st disaster (stealing of the formula).
When that was resolved I started to feel anxious... YueMing who had accused his brother YueXuan without any good proof, sitting at the feast-meal with a bitter expression on his face.
After that it was one disaster after another. All secretly instigated by YueMing, his sister in law (widow of the dead son) and a little bit by Mohua.
No one was good only the family of HaiTang, HaiTang, YueXian, the little sister of YueXian and the father.
The fun was gone, the frustration started. However I couldn't stop watching even with the knot in my stomach!
With each episode I swore too myself I would stop watching, but the acting was so good I kept watching.
But in the end I felt dissatisfied with the fact that characters who behaved badly, for example brother YueMing never got punished and never even apologized to his brother YueXuan for the things he had done.
It felt unsatisfactory, especially since he got a "reward" in the end when he left to "study abroad", while his brother stayed and worked in the business. I guess YueXian will pay for the studies of his brother YueMing who did all those bad things to him and his girlfriend and while doing so also helped the business to get into trouble (losing money to such an extent that the company had to close because there was no money for the workers).
I even started to fantasize my own ending for this brother... him drowning or being killed while he was abroad.
The mother who as a person was a despicable human being and only had eyes for her biological son Yueming (maybe that was the reason he was completely unaware of the fact that he should take responsibility for his actions).
Treating the daughter in law like a piece of garbage and treating HaiTang badly when she was not the wife of her biological son. Also never apologizing properly to them for her bad behaviour.
Always influencing her husband to give Yueming extra chances and always coming up for excuses for his bad behaviour.
I thought YueXuan and HaiTang were too forgiving towards YueMing.
However I liked in general their storylines together even though there were moments where I thought that HaiTang showed a form of stupidity which I couldn't understand. She made errors in judgment, trusting the wrong persons and not believing the right persons.
For example: When she accused YueXuan of killing her mother (even her own brother found it illogical). If I loved someone I would trust them and would not accuse them of murder without any proof. For me it would have been the end of my relationship (trust is important).
The father was too weak, he didn't stand up to his wife, and made big mistakes but he apologized in the end and owned up to his mistakes. He was one of the supporting characters I liked the most.
The General was funny in his greed. Mohua was flawed but also owned up to her mistakes and in my book that was good enough.
Illogical actions like a miscarriage because of using too much musk never heard of it and Google didn't either, Haitang standing up and walking after her "comatose" stay a little bit unbelievable. But I never saw a Chinese drama that didn't had questionable events/facts written in their story-line.
However I still enjoyed the show, but I need to see something completely uplifting before I rewatch this show again.
But I am sure I will.
The music is great, the visual aspects are beautiful. I even admired their clothes, the embroidery... ok, enough. I think it is worth to watch this show if you leave the logic behind.
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TL:DR: This is a fast-paced business-investigation drama driven largely by Arata and Eguchi, in which Arata shines offering a powerful performance. The context is tax evasion so you can expect some unfamilar jargon. Don't let it put you off; the context doesn't really prevent the viewer from getting into the flow of the narrative.
I was really unsure whether I would like this story. The first episode opened with this very specific context and language used threw me back a little. But as the story progressed I forgot about it and found a different focus: the fates of Eguchi and Arata. The context is still important, though. You also get to see just how far could people go to avoid paying taxes.
Eguchi plays the tax inspector here. The drama opens as he investigates the case that sparks the entire chain of events. Gradually, he is led to discover some rather precarious truths. He also has a personal interest in this investigation, which adds to his determination. Eguchi's presence on screen is very strong without being artifical; I had a sense that he was where he belonged, simply, as if being in that role was what he was meant to do. His character is relatively straightforward, a little too rigid at first and not terribly complex. He does eventually see that perspectives are relative and boundaries between them a little more fuzzy than he may have hoped. We follow him as he makes new discoveries and it's kind of fun to see what he makes of things and how he fumbles along the way.
But this show is actually a little less about him than about his antagonist, portrayed by Arata. Arata really shines in this drama, offering exceptionally powerful and emotional performace. His character is scarred in many ways. He's very human as we get to see. He's a very well-fleshed out antagonist who is as important to the story as Eguchi.
It's actually hard to call Arata an antagonist. The drama tries to avoid simplistic distinctions between good and bad and everything in the drama is questioned either by the characters themselves or by the characters who surround them as a result of events that unfold. Although we follow Eguchi in his investigation, Arata's perspective is strongly focalised as well to the point that we are driven to strongly empathise with him. For the most part it is Arata who holds all the cards and Eguchi is the one playing blind chase. However he gains control towards the end of the story. It makes the story balanced between the two of them. There is an element of revenge in this drama as well but it doesn't completely take over the story.
There is a quote in the drama which returns at least once or twice, like a haunting refrain: "One man's fire of despair is another man's fire of hope". The quote, to me, conveys several things: the sense of double narrative, the sense of simultaneity and chain links between actions and their effects. One man's actions are bound to affect the life of another; and what leads to despair for one, provides hope for another; the drama plays on how those two are closely intertwined and the fact thtat there is a thin line separating them. What is hopeful can become despair and despair can turn into hope.
While Arata and Eguchi carry the whole show, side characters are not unimportant since they meaningfully contextualise the frames of mind of both protagonists and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. It's particularly interesting to see how Arata's character treats and responds to the people around him.
The drama is also very good at creating ambience. They didn't use many camera tricks but when they did, I felt it was to meanigfully reflect the mood at a given point in time, to show a character'a tension or sadness. The music used is meant to be haunting. Pacing is even throughout the entire story. It starts fast and keeps going right towards the end. There are a lot of things happening all the time; the drama offers a good example of keeping good proportions between pacing and overall length of the story; no time is wasted.
The plus of this drama is that, like most Japanese dramas, it offers character motivations and backstories to bite into, but never becomes maudlin in doing so. Perhaps the ending may be seen as a little more teary in contrast to the rest of the drama but overall the ambience the drama has built throughout is never lost. I personally find the ending a bit abrupt but because of what happens there is not much left to tell either so to continue beyond the point in which the story ends may water down the impact of the whole narrative.
Much as I do rewatch dramas, it's always difficult to evaluate how rewatchable a drama is without actually rewatching it. I'd say once is enough for this one because the story is satisfying but I would rewatch it to see if I react to Arata in the same way and perhaps to see if I haven't missed any meaning-altering nuances. I am the type who likes to philosophize a little, so when I rewatch I look for the things I missed that could lead me to more meaningful speculations and debates.
I found this to be a very "meaty" story overall and Arata...Arata will likely haunt me from now on.
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This drama hit me right in the feels :( I loved it!
Maybe I enjoyed this drama so much cause I'm older than 39 and I appreciate this short gift of life we all have <3 Also, I lost many loved ones due to cancer in some form. So in a way, I think I can relate to this show...Many episodes broke me and I had a crying fit (which is a nice release )The only question I had after it's done. What was the point of the "car accident scene"..was it a dream or just a pothole? Overall, I absolutely adored this drama. I recommend it for anyone who needs a good cry!
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First of all.. this movie is hard to find online with subs.. I was fortunate to watch on the plane for my long hour trip to SF.This movie didn't even play in the theatre in my country.
I love this movie a lot... for someone who didn't really like melodrama this movie sure is very moving to me. The cast was brilliant... Jasper and Ivy's chemistry felt so real.
Of course its a remake from the korean movie with the same title.
Didn't guess the ending was that way.. but it really shows what true love really was. Tho her decision in the end was foolish.. but I guess its better than living without her other half.... (this kind of feeling is really hard to understand)
Storyline was very good.
Acting and casts were perfect.
Tears level... surely high.
Music... well if you understand Chinese,,, the wording of the main song is really moving and poetic.. it clearly describe the sadness of one's feeling.
Overall... I would give this movie a 9 star rating.. Will I be watching it again? well sure.. if I am able to find it subs online.
I really like Jasper Liu's acting as well as Ivy Chen's acting.. they never disappoint in their acting and movies/dramas...
Looking forward for their chance of working together again.
Hope those who will be watching this movie.. will enjoy it as much as I do.
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This drama is an adaptation from a shoujo manga published before the 2000. Inevitably, the story is brimming with cliché. I suppose, Itazura na Kiss is the source of some of the cliché seen in manga and dramas in this decade. That makes Itazura na Kiss unfit for my taste. Well, it was supposed to be...
There are reasons that made the cliché bearable.
One, the perfect lines of the important scenes. For example, the rain scene in the finale (I can't get the finale out of my head these days). I love Naoki's lines XD
The second reason is the casting. While some of the actors are probably still green, they all brought the best out of their characters. Miki Honoka, who played the heroine, needs many improvements in her acting, but she managed to bring Kotoko who is not overly stupid or annoying; just adorable. As for Furukawa Yuuki (Irie Naoki), there are times when I thought that he lacked of facial expression. But, at the end of every episode, I always scrapped that thought out of my head. Furukawa's lack of expression at some scenes was actually the prove that he played Irie well, because Irie is a character who doesn't show his emotion easily. When he does show it, he didn't hold back, and Furukawa managed to portray that perfectly.
The characterization is also what made me tune in until the end. Kin-chan's character actually had more depth than he appeared at first. I don't usually like Kin-chan's type of character, because they pour all of their heart to the heroine, be all nice and supporting, yet NEVER gets the girl; it's just too painful to watch. Although Kin-chan fell into the same pattern, the dynamic of his character made me thought that watching him is worth the pain.
The music was quite nice, though not exceptional. Some people might hate the opening theme song, but I LOVE IT.
I gave the rewatch value a ten, because I couldn't help rewatching EVERY EPISODE for at least once after I watched them. As for the finale, I've probably watched it for five times. This drama is soooo cliche but it made me all fluffy inside~ Sometimes I need fluff in my life XD
I think this drama is for those who likes popular and cliche romance. It's not for those who feel uncomfortable with the casting or is looking for something serious.
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Antique is a nice, solid drama about friendship, with humour, warmth and a tiny bit of romance. I liked it, so I think it deserves a review!The plot is simple, like the synopsis says, and at first, it mostly revolves about introducing each character (the men at the bakery as well as some of their customers) and it feels a bit “episodic”, but gradually, as you learn more about the characters and their backgrounds, you realize that there are plotlines that connect them, secrets that are gradually revealed. This is pretty interesting, and I also enjoyed the little details in each episode.
Antique is a fun drama; not so that it makes you roll on the floor laughing, but it makes you giggle and smile very often. The characters are almost over the top silly sometimes, but not so much that they become annoying. I have not read the original manga, but I suspect that it falls into the comedy/slice of life genres. (Speaking of the manga, I’ve been told that the live-action version differs quite a lot in some important ways that I won’t reveal since that would be spoilery…)
The cast/acting is very good. Shiina Kippei and Abe Hiroshi is a fun duo; their interaction is what gives me most of the “manga feels” I get from this drama. Takizawa Hideaki does a very convincing job as the charming young boxer who loves cake with all his heart. Fujiki Naohito, the baker who teaches him all his skills, is here seen in one of his earliest roles, portraying a withdrawn man who has found a way to deal with his insecurities in a way that has everybody (including me) convinced, until his past is revealed in one of the later episodes. And just like in “Kimi wa petto”, Kato Koyuki plays a journalist, but of a different character. Together with the rest of the supporting characters, she adds color to the drama.
Let's not forget, there is so much eye-candy in this drama! I’m talking about the amazing cakes. Seriously, sometimes I felt that the close-ups of the cakes alone made the drama worth watching, I’m not kidding! Then, of course, there’s the male eye-candy as well… and Kato Kayuki is so adorable! I must admit I have a soft spot for Fujiki Naohito, though. Somehow, the softness of his cute face, together with all those delicious-looking cakes, makes me all starry-eyed. That’s the effect this drama had on me…
I don’t have a lot to say about the music, except that I liked it.
I was never bored whiled watching this, but often amused. I think it’s because I do enjoy this kind of light, heartfelt slice-of-life kind of stories… If that’s not your cup of tea, you might not like it as much as I did. In my opinion, it was well worth my time, but I don’t think I’ll re-watch Antique anytime soon. If I do someday, well, then it’s probably because I want to enjoy those beautiful cakes once again…
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Speed Skating through Episodes, Big Plot Twist Finale & a Possibility for S2
I had just come from watching XZG in Dashing Youth so wanted to see him in a different genre. CW I had seen twice previously and was familiar with some of the supporting cast, though not the female lead. This being a short with something like 15 minutes per episode, not counting credits, web series albeit with 52 episodes, was curious to see how it went.Pros: I really liked the cases themselves and how our 3 leads were creative in solving them. Going from strangers to lifelong friends as they worked each case was nice. They never left each other in the lurch especially at the end. All three were equal favorites in their own way and how they made unlikely allies along the way from great martial artists to thieves to the wealthiest man in the city. The main antagonist was the biggest surprise as you really didn't see him coming because of how much he loved his son even though he was a total sociopath. Also it was cool to see how many cases were related to him when it was all said and done and how many of the villains and others were his followers. It being Republican Era as usual the costumes and sets were very nice. The fights were nicely executed. Though telling that one dude to not bring a knife to a gun fight would have helped lol.
Cons: As the title says, we were basically speed skating through episodes. It was one case after another with no break in getting to know our leads backgrounds or having them just shoot the breeze. One ended and in the very next scene you jumped into something else; there was no smooth transition and it definitely hindered the series. We saw why the leads became close but their actual characters weren't really given any deep dives. Like we didn't know SH's dad was a criminal until the last episode; in fact we didn't know anything about his past, who his parents were, where he lived, etc. There were many moments where you're like, how did so and so end up here and why? Like how did at the end the thief know to bring the wounded SH to Mr. He and why would SH know that was a safe zone? Also how did XF follow them so closely and also know this was a safe haven? How did that random bouncer guy know where HL lived and just happened upon the place with a knife and tried killing him while he was tied up on his bed and than was miraculously rescued by that Youlan lady? A lot of the pieces didn't fit at all and you're just watching with a lot of suspended disbelief. If they had less cases and less episodes, perhaps they would have had enough time to properly flesh out the cases and all of these kinks. The fact that they ended it in a way that could possibly suggest a S2, I hope that they understand that less really is more and that characters need fleshing out with proper backgrounds. Did they really stick every one of the bad guys including the mastermind in the same prison?
Another thing, hypnosis isn't an exact science. You can't hypnotize everyone as not everyone is susceptible to it and not that quickly. They made that part of it look way easier than it really was. The OSTs were very forgettable.
Would I recommend it? Despite the many cons, I actually found it entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Give it a whirl.
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A Really Lovely Drama
Her Private Life is a great drama that has a good plotline and great actors. There are multiple storylines that all have a connection to the main plot and there are a lot of deep scenes and shocking moments. The storyline regarding fangirling was done very well and didn't diminish or tarnish fangirls/fangirling, it was very mature and charming. Ryan Gold was definitely suave and intimidating at first but once he got closer to Deok Mi he was super cute, sweet, and extremely handsome. Eun Gi is a sweetheart and I loved Shi An. Deok Mi's best friend and her family had a nice storyline but I wish her cute cafe employee had more of a storyline regarding his band! I thought Ryan and Deok Mi had really good chemistry that was mature and fun. The drama wasn't too slow but the pace was just perfect and I was eager to watch each episode. The last few episodes were really great and shocking. The soundtrack was enjoyable throughout the show as well! I really enjoyed this great drama and definitely recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
